I graduated from the University of Sheffield and trained in Cardiothoracic Surgery in Cambridge and London. I was the recipient of an MRC scholarship and was awarded an MSc in Biostatistics and an MD for surgical research. I was appointed as a Thoracic Surgeon to the Royal Brompton Hospital 2007.

Apart from a busy clinical thoracic surgery practice, I run a lung screening clinic at the Cromwell Hospital focusing on early detection of lung cancer and respiratory diseases.

In addition, I teach undergraduate Medicine and Surgery at Imperial College Medical School, and lead the Cancer Consortia at the Royal Brompton Hospital. My research group focuses on blood based biomarkers for minimally invasive, blood based diagnosis of cancer. I conduct clinical trials of surgery, and currently serve as the UK Chief Investigator for MARS2 (a CRUK funded multicentre trial of surgery for mesothelioma) and VIOLET (an NIHR HTA funded multicentre trial of keyhole surgery for lung cancer).

"I continuously apply research advances to improve patient care and educate the next generation of surgeons to do the same"

My positions

I am humbled by the recognition of my expertise by my peers and honoured to serve in the following positions:

Member of the European Society of Medical Oncology Guidelines on the Management of Lung Cancer Committee 2013

Member of the European Neuroendocrine Tumour Society Guidelines on the Management of Bronchopulmonary Carcinoid Committee 2015

Member of the European Expert Group on diagnostic procedures for non-small-cell lung cancer 2016

Councillor of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons 2010-2014

Member of the Steering Committee of the British Thoracic Oncology Group 2010-

Associate Editor of Thorax 2010-

Deputy Statistics Editor for the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2015-

Associate Editor of the European Thoracic Oncology Platform 2010-2012

Chair of the UK Thoracic Surgery Research Collaborative 2010-

My publications

I have edited An Integrated Textbook of Medicine and Surgery, published by Elsevier, a pioneering textbook that links two traditionally separate specialities, and a core textbook for medical students that was awarded Highly Commended in Medicine by the British Medical Association Book awards 2008, Highly Commended in Best Edited Medical Textbook category by the Royal Society of Medicine and the Royal Society of Authors 2008, and Highly commended by an NHS Innovations Awards 2008 (books and interactive media category). I also edited Churchill’s Pocketbook of Differential Diagnosis, now in the fourth English edition and translated into Greek and Russian.

I have published over 125 peer-reviewed publications, and my research on systematic reviews and clinical trials in thoracic surgery, surgical oncology, biomarker development and validation in lung cancer has been awarded national and international prizes, including the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgery best thoracic surgery research for four consecutive years (2008-2011).